A Cry In The Dark
by noodle-caboodle
Summary: In the middle of the night Tuddrussel overhears Otto having a nightmare and finds himself comforting him.


Tuddrussel yawned. Blinking his eyes open, he almost fell asleep right in the chair. He shook his head to wake up. Tuddrussel had been watching television comfortably in his recliner chair for a good while, after a long day of battling historical inaccuracies the time to relax was just what the doctor ordered. He turned to look at the clock on the wall, 1:00 AM blared in red. Yawning again, he figured that was time for some shut-eye.

He turned off the television and sluggishly got off the chair. Walking towards his bedroom in the labyrinthine satellite, Tuddrussel heard something abruptly echo down the hall. It was this series of small, eerie noises- almost like someone whimpering. He stopped, wondering if he heard correctly.

"_No- don't!" _A voice shouted.

Tuddrussel shifted his head to a door that was visibly open down the hall. That was Otto's room. Was Otto in trouble? Tuddrussel wondered. He sounded scared. "Hey, Otto? You okay?" Tuddrussel called out. Then complete silence followed. Tuddrussel waited; spooked out of his mind he wasn't sure if Otto had really said anything after all, he silently hoped not.

_"AAAHHHH!" _

A shrill cry echoed through the corridor, making Tuddrussel jump.

"What the hell?" Tuddrussel blurted out.

Shaking in terror, the silence that followed did nothing to persuade him that everything was fine. Worried for Otto's safety, Tuddrussel put on a brave face and went on to Otto's room to investigate the scream. He got to the bedroom door and looked in; in the dark with only a tiny night-light shining near the wall to guide him, Tuddrussel saw a squirming mass lying on the floor. Tuddrussel stepped in and flicked on the light, seeing it was actually Otto struggling to get out of his tangled blanket and sheets. "Hmmph- hello?" Otto called out.

Tuddrussel sighed a breath of relief, and then quickly snickered at himself and at Otto's little predicament. He walked towards the boy; clearing his throat to speak as he grabbed a hold of the blanket and pulled on it.

"Whoa there, kid, I'll get ya out." Tuddrussel said. Otto gasped in shock as the blanket lifted over his head. Tuddrussel saw that Otto was trembling, looking disoriented and pale with shock. "You alright, there?" Tuddrussel asked.

Otto looked around aimlessly, he couldn't tell where to look at Tuddrussel without his glasses.

"Yeah, I think so." Otto said shakily. A pang of sympathy hit Buck, wondering where the kid's glasses were. Looking over to the nightstand he found them, and handed them over to Otto.

"Oh, thank you." Otto said, immediately putting them on to see that Tuddrussel was looking quite concerned.

"Here, take my hand." Tuddrussel said, holding out a hand to Otto, the boy clumsily took it and was lifted to his feet in a second.

"Alright now, you've got some explaining to do" Tuddrussel said firmly.

"Why were you screaming? You bout' scared me to death."

Otto flushed, he didn't know he had been so loud. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to I just had a nightmare and it was just so-so-" Otto tried to explain.

Tuddrussel softened; the poor kid sounded just as shook up as he looked. Hesitant to react to Otto's babble, Tuddrussel could only think to kneel down and pick up Otto's bed sheets and hand them to him. "And you fell out of bed right after…" Tuddrussel finished.

"Uhh huh." Otto mumbled, grabbing the linens and placing them on the bed.

"What kind of- wait a minute," Tuddrussel stumbled. Now Tuddrussel wasn't sure what he was getting into. He wondered if this situation was more of Larry's expertise; or at least, that was something that Otto could be able to handle himself at eight years old. But Tuddrussel looked at Otto, and truly felt that he shouldn't leave him alone- not until he knew that Otto would be okay.

"You want something to help?" Tuddrussel asked. Otto rubbed the sleep from his eyes. A thought hit him that he was thirsty.

"I guess I need a glass of water." Otto said.

Tuddrussel nodded. He could deal with that. "Okay, I'll get it for you." Tuddrussel offered. Otto looked at the officer kind of funny. "You will?"

"Sure, nothing to it." Tuddrussel said.

Tuddrussel patted Otto on the head, "And don't give me none of your looks ether, boy." Tuddrussel ordered, smiling gently as he got up.

And he left without another word about it. While Otto waited he fixed his bedding, smoothing out the blanket and tucking it back in as if it was never pulled out during a night terror at all. The boy hopped onto the bed as Tuddrussel came back in with a glass of water.

He brought it over to him, and Otto gratefully took it and drank from it. Tuddrussel sat down on the edge of the bed next to him and couldn't help but feel relived that Otto was looking more like himself again.

"You okay now?" Tuddrussel asked.

"Yeah, thanks." Otto said contentedly. He then gulped down the rest of the water and put the glass on the nightstand.

Scratching his neck, Tuddrussel felt clueless about what to do now.

"I suppose you're going to go back to sleep now." Tuddrussel said.

Otto sighed, bewildered at the idea.

"I'd rather pass on that for awhile, if that's okay." Otto said.

"I guess that dream must of really spooked ya, huh?" Tuddrussel asked, concerned. "I'm really sorry for scaring you though, I didn't know I had screamed out loud." Otto said fretfully

"Don't sweat it, these things happen." Tuddrussel reassured. "This nightmare, you want to talk about it?"

Otto shot a surprised glance. "What?"

"Well if you're gonna be awake anyway, it's something to do." Tuddrussel said.

"You really want to?" Otto asked hesitantly. "It's just that- nobody's ever asked before."

"Sure, I wanna hear it. And who knows, maybe it'll help you settle down." Tuddrussel said. "Ya know, I'm not much for talkin' but hey, I'm all ears."

"Well, I guess it could help…" Otto said, resigning on telling with a little sigh. "And this nightmare, it was so awful."

"What happened?" Tuddrussel asked.

"Well, I don't know where I was." Otto began slowly, trying to compose his nightmare together. "I was lost and I walked into this house, this real old house and everything was broken and falling apart and-and-Oh, I knew that there was someone in there with me. I wanted to find them at first, they were calling for me and I kept running toward them. But then, I wanted to run far from it. It was invisible…a ghost maybe?" Otto paused to look at Tuddrussel.

"Then what?" Tuddrussel urged on.

"And I was hearing these weird sounds like a dog growling and someone laughing at me, it was a horrible laugh! And I went looking for this thing even though I knew better, and then-" Otto's hands trembled as he ran the image in his head, he put his hands around his throat.

"This ghost became visible for a second, as it swooped in and held me down to the floor! Then everything went black, and it started choking me, and shaking me! " Otto's voice wobbled, the terror that he felt resonated back again. "And it hurt- it actually hurt, I couldn't breath and I was trying to yell and fight back but I couldn't make any sound or move and suddenly I woke up just as I was falling out and I screamed." He sighed, leaning back into his pillow completely exhausted from the event. "I'm sorry, I guess that's pretty silly to get scared over." Otto said remorsefully. Tuddrussel shook his head in disagreement.

"I wouldn't say that, now- I reckon that you'd have to be crazy not to be bothered by a nightmare like that, I mean- crap, that is awful." Tuddrussel replied, actually quite taken back by Otto's tale. A thought came to Tuddrussel then, Otto was smart with figuring out dreams, he did save the mission with Dr. Freud a couple of missions back. Maybe he knew how to cure himself after all.

"You've got an idea what it means?" Tuddrussel asked. "You've always seem to have an answer for those dream analyses things..."

Otto cradled himself in his arms and thought about it. "It all has something to do with confronting the past and repressed memories I think. That's what my last nightmare said. "

Tuddrussel frowned, not liking the sound of any of that. " This isn't the first time you've had this particular dream, is it?"

"I've had those kinds of nightmares for as long as I can remember." Otto said wistfully.

"…Even back in your time?" Tuddrussel asked.

"Yeah," Otto said, " A little before you took me, I had one a lot like it. I used to have nightmares all the time, at the orphanage. I actually used to be afraid to go to sleep sometimes."

"That bad, huh?" Tuddrussel asked, wondering where this road was going.

"It wasn't just that, part of it just was being scared of getting in trouble-" Otto admitted.

"In trouble? For what?" Tuddrussel demanded.

"For making to much noise, being out of bed, " Otto faltered, highly uncomfortable with the question. "Sister Thornly's reasons for punishing me were always different. Just whatever came to her mind, really."

Tuddrussel's eyes narrowed at the disturbing thought of Otto being punished for something that was obviously out of his control. "She got on to ya pretty bad, then?" Tuddrussel asked.

Otto scowled, "Yeah and did I feel sorry for it! I don't know why she would yell or smack me for it. I don't think she knew ether. And when she did get on to me afterwards I'd try so hard not to fall asleep until my eyes gave up and I'd wake up the next morning with her yelling at me for over sleeping-" Otto stopped talking before he got ahead of himself. Tuddrussel shook his head and snorted a breath of irritation directed to Sister Thornly. "Crazy old bat…" Tuddrussel muttered. Otto lowered his head, ashamed that he even brought it up. Tuddrussel saw that and cringed. "Sorry, it's just the facts. " Tuddrussel said quickly. " She shouldn't have done those things to you, you couldn't help it. " Otto looked up and plainly said, "Thanks, Tuddrussel. But we don't have to talk about that. I don't really want to if it's alright with you."

Tuddrussel agreed, " You do it when you're ready and willing. And we've got a million years for you to do it, sound fair?"

Otto smiled, "That sounds fair."

Tuddrussel gulped a breath of air to try to speak a little further.

"But, listen-Otto?" Tuddrussel stumbled, looking uncomfortable. Otto watched curiously. "Hmm?"

Tuddrussel sighed; he wanted to word this right.

"With that nightmare of yours, just so we're clear-if anybody tries to lay a hand on you while I'm around, they're gonna wish that they hadn't. I don't want you to feel like you're not safe around here, or heck, even on a mission. And if you ever have any more problems like this, or somethin', you can always come and talk to me. I'll be there for you, okay?"

Otto's smile faded, he didn't know what to say to that. "Wow, Tuddrussel…" Tuddrussel felt embarrassment immediately. Wanting to just kick himself he didn't notice Otto getting up on the bed.

Springing off the bed like a rocket, Otto leapt onto Tuddrussel for a surprise attack hug. He latched onto his neck, practically dragging Tuddrussel down.

"Hey- watch it, kid!" Tuddrussel said, caught off guard by the act.

"Thank you!" Otto squeaked out.

Tuddrussel didn't know what else to do but hug the boy back. "For-for what?" Tuddrussel stuttered with a puzzled tone.

"For being there for me."

He let go of Tuddrussel and fell back onto the bed. A smile inched its way to Tuddrussel's face, the kid's positivity was a bit contagious at times.

"I can't say that about anyone but you, and Larry. I guess I'm pretty lucky." Otto said. Tuddrussel smirked. "If you think having Larry on your side is lucky-then boy do I feel mighty sorry for you."

"I'm sure Larry would say the same thing, but about you." Otto said, amused.

"Yeah, well that walking tin-can is about as useful as a dog with no teeth." Tuddrussel said.

"I don't think he's so bad." Otto said, yawning mid sentence. Tuddrussel watched Otto and saw that he was probably more tired than he realized.

"Well, now, look at yourself. You're so tired you don't even know what you're talking about." Tuddrussel said. "You think you can go back to sleep now?"

Otto shrugged, "Oh, well, I guess so."

"Good enough." Tuddrussel said.

Otto got himself under the covers, yawning again as he snuggled in. Tuddrussel tucked him in.

"Good night." Otto said.

"Night, now if those dreams give ya any more trouble just take out a phaser in the dream and blast your enemy to smithereens, okay?" Tuddrussel said.

Otto giggled, "Alright, will do."

Tuddrussel, satisfied with the job well done he quietly got up and turned off the light and went straight to his own room.

Tuddrussel took his time to ponder about what had been said and done. He was actually kind of glad that he had been there at that right moment. What would Otto have done without him? In his heart a surge of sympathy hit- nobody has ever tried to make sure that Otto was okay, until tonight. And having nightmares like that, he didn't think that a kid who always appeared to be happy should be dealing with that kind of stress, those dreams were for the war veterans and college kids.

Of course with that nun on his ass day in and day out, who could blame him for having these problems- stupid bitch. Tuddrussel grimly thought. The thought of her made him feel glad that he stole the kid from the 21st century! Tuddrussel got to his room, and walked in exhausted, ready to crash for the night. He looked on his bed, and saw that stuffed bear of his. He had that thing since he and Sheila started dating. He didn't have a particularly good use for it, other than to have something to shamelessly cuddle with. Tuddrussel sat down on the bed and picked Mr. Jingles up. It was a worn out bear that had been hugged to death. But whatever, he's still a great bear- Tuddrussel thought. 'You sleep with a teddy bear?' Otto had asked once upon discovering it. Tuddrussel smiled, he didn't care if Otto joked about it, not that he made a big deal anyway. But a kid like Otto wouldn't want to have it. Kids don't sleep with teddy bears anymore, right? Sighing, Tuddrussel knew that someone ought to take the job of being the owner of Mr. Jingles, the bravest stuffed bear this side of Texas.

Tuddrussel threw the toy into the air and caught it with his right hand. He frowned, not really wanting to part with the little guy. "But I guess, someone could probably use you more than me?" Tuddrussel said to himself.

Otto had just drifted off to sleep. He didn't notice the door opening, or the heavy footsteps that came toward the bed. Tuddrussel had the bear behind his back, just incase if Otto was still awake. He gently pulled the blanket back and put the toy next to Otto and tucked them both in. "Take care of the little guy." Tuddrussel whispered. He patted the bear one last time before turning away.

Otto stirred awake, opening his eyes to see Tuddrussel's silhouette in the light. Curious, he reached for him and almost spoke to say something before he left the room, but his hand felt something that made him stop. The bear. Otto had seen Tuddrussel's teddy bear many times. But, what was it doing in his bed? Otto wondered. Tuddrussel LOVES that bear, there's no way he'd give it up…. The door shut, leaving Otto once again in the dimly lit room by himself. Otto smiled, feeling grateful for the gift. He pulled the bear close, snuggling it tightly to his chest and soon lulled off to sleep.


End file.
